Dear Parents and Carers,

Welcome to the 2025 school year! A new year brings fresh opportunities, and I am excited to begin another school year with all of you. It is with great joy that I share that we have had a smooth and positive start, with students returning with enthusiasm and a great spirit after the holiday break. I want to extend a heartfelt welcome to all our new and returning students, families, and staff members. Our school community is stronger and richer because of the diverse talents, perspectives, and experiences each of you brings. Together, we continue to foster an environment where learning thrives and where every individual is valued and respected.

It has been a great pleasure to welcome our second cohort of Early Learning Centre (ELC) students. It's hard to believe that just one year ago, we were in the hall with our Foundation classes, waiting for the building to be completed. Now, our Foundation class is in kindergarten and has transitioned so smoothly, settling in and engaging with their learning. It's a joy to visit them every day. My heartfelt thanks go to all our Early Years staff members who have worked tirelessly to ensure the transition into ELC and Kindergarten has been seamless.

2025 is shaping up to be a big year for the school, with many community events and projects already in the works. One major project will be formulating our Strategic Plan for 2026-2028 as we approach the end of our current plan. Keep an eye on the Newsletter and Compass for ways to contribute to this important planning process. 

Our new 3/4 Toilets were completed over the holidays, and the students love the new Jet hand dryers, mirrors, and water bottle filling stations in the corridor. We’ve also tidied up the gardens around the BASCA building and completed minor renovations on our 5/6 block. This year, we plan to install an electronic sign at the front of the school, continue garden work around BASCA and Year 1, and update the Sensory Playground, thanks to funds raised in 2024 from our Colour Run. 

Interviewing the Prime Minister

On Wednesday, some of our Year 6 students had the opportunity to work with the Behind The News (BTN) team from the ABC to brainstorm questions they, as young Australians, wanted to ask the Prime Minister of Australia. They were fortunate enough to visit Parliament House on Wednesday to meet Mr Albanese, have a behind-the-scenes tour of his office, and conduct a press conference where they asked him some hard-hitting questions about environmental policy, the influence of Donald Trump, balancing his time as PM and world peace. My thanks go to the team from the ABC and the Prime Minister’s office for making this opportunity possible it is something the students will forever remember. The BTN episode will be apart of Tuesday’s show next week. You can find it here BTN - Behind The News.

Year Level Coordinators

This year, we will do more to promote the role of our Year-Level Coordinators to the community. Their role is to assist the grade-level teaching teams and offer support to staff and parents with communication, behaviour expectations, and extracurricular activities. While the stage coordinator can be contacted directly or cc’d in any emails to teachers, we ask that all initial communication go through the classroom teacher. Below are our Grade-Level Coordinators:

Kinder – Jeremy Stevens jeremy.stevens@cg.catholic.edu.au

Year 1 - Lauren Macdonald lauren.macdonald@cg.catholic.edu.au

Year 2 - Annie Mcarthur annie.mcarthur@cg.catholic.edu.au

Year 3 - Lauren Macdonald lauren.macdonald@cg.catholic.edu.au

Year 4 - Sharee Thomas sharee.thomas@cg.catholic.edu.au

Year 5 - Jeremy Stevens jeremy.stevens@cg.catholic.edu.au

Year 6 - Sharee Thomas sharee.thomas@cg.catholic.edu.au

Specialists (Music, STEM & Library)- Sean Rutledge sean.rutledge@cg.catholic.edu.au

PIN Night

This is a reminder that our Parent Information Night for 2025 is on Monday night. As a school community, you can visit classrooms, meet your child’s teacher and enjoy a BBQ dinner on the Hardtop. Further information, including information on registering for catering purposes, is available on Compass.

Blessings and best wishes,
Sean Rutledge
Principal